


Then and Now

by comeonlight



Category: Final Fantasy Type-0
Genre: Backstory, F/F, Flashbacks, Post-War, sort of, this is strange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-26
Updated: 2016-03-26
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:58:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,514
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6356170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/comeonlight/pseuds/comeonlight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A dive into Ines' memories and backstory after she returns to her apartment with Qun'mi (and Charon) after Tempus Finis. Garbage fic, read at your own risk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Then and Now

Winter in Milites was brutally cold compared to the rest of Orience. But the inhabitants of the Empire endured, like they always had. For Ines, it was nothing extraordinary. The ten winters she’d experienced since her birth were all alike: Dull, windy, snowy, and icy. The rations were cut because what little food that did grow in Milites was now encased in ice, and few dared to brave the abyss of white outside city limits in hopes of hunting a hibernating monster. Even fewer returned, let alone with meat to show for their expedition.

Unlike many, Ines willingly stepped outside during the winter. She often stood on the balcony at the back of her Ingram apartment, staring into the empty lot below. The roofs of the surrounding buildings were visually unappealing, but they kept snow from falling in front of back doors. Instead, it accumulated into a thick block in the center of the lot. Sometimes a man living on the ground floor would slam the back door to his apartment and kick it, only injuring himself. Ines had always thought him to be a fool.

Ines sighed and reentered her home. If she took off her gloves, she’d undoubtedly see blue fingers. That was where the memories got fuzzy. Because of the Crystal, most of the memories of what happened inside that apartment were gone. She could remember an eccentric man visiting sparsely throughout her childhood, but not his name or really even his face. He was still alive, she was sure. It had just been a long time and she’d forgotten who he was. Some type of mechanic, maybe. Now that Ines thought about it, the only people she could vaguely remember from her childhood were him, that angry man downstairs, and…that girl.

There could’ve been another reason, but Ines recalled standing on that balcony, staring down, looking for _her._ In the past few months, a girl had visited the empty lot a number of times. She’d sneak into a storage room on the ground floor and take things like thin blankets and seemingly random scraps of metal. At some point she’d found her way to someone’s kitchen, making off with food rations and sometimes metal utensils. She was definitely malnourished, but crafty and quick, and absolutely fascinating. So Ines watched for her, learned her schedule, predicted her movements, and one day finally caught her as she prepared to sprint off into the afternoon snow.

“You didn’t see me,” the girl said, taking a defensive stance. “No, uh…” Ines slowly handed the girl a backpack. “Take it. I put some food in it.” The girl raised her brow, not letting her guard down. “The hell?” “I…” Ines swallowed. The girl was extremely pretty up close, which was a tad distracting. “I mean, I’ve seen you. And I wanted to help, so...” Ines’ cheeks flushed. “Here!” She quickly removed her coat, followed by her gloves and scarf. “Take these and…”

The stranger opened the bag she’d been given and peered inside, then added the items she’d stolen to its contents. “Thanks I guess.” She took the additional offerings from Ines’ trembling hands and ran off. Sniffling, Ines began to head back home, satisfied with her actions and hoping that the visitor would come again soon. Unfortunately for her, it would be over a decade before she met the pretty girl again.

* * *

 “You’re pretty high class, aren’t you?” Qun’mi asked, taking a glance around Ines’ apartment. “Yeah,” Ines said. “Not quite nobility, but my family was pretty well off. According to reports, Mom was a bioengineer, and Dad was a mechanic.” “Reports?” Qun’mi frowned at the distant look in Ines’ eyes. “Never mind. I’ll ask another time. Uh…Thanks for having me. It’s good to have somewhere to relax after all of this.”

Charon placed a hand on each woman’s shoulder. “You said it, shorty! I can’t wait to nap on that there couch. Say, Ines, you got any beer?” “Why is he here again?” Qun’mi asked. Ines sighed. “I don’t know. I think he just kind of tagged along.” Charon walked toward the couch near the door to the balcony. “You don’t really decorate this place,” he noted before reclining. Qun’mi looked at the empty walls. He was right. The only real defining characteristic she could see was a picture frame, and even that contained only a generic motivational quote.

“I’m gonna go lie down,” Ines said. She began to walk toward a door, presumably leading to her room. “Let me know if you need anything. Charon, there’s one bottle of White Tiger.” She entered her room with that, ignoring the complaint of, “What? One? And not even Black?” As soon as the door shut, Qun’mi approached Charon and took a seat in a chair near him. “She’s upset.” “Duh,” Charon said, giggling afterward. “Congrats, you understand your girlfriend’s feelings.” “There’s something about this place that unsettles her,” Qun’mi continued. “…She mentioned reports. Did something happen? Is she keeping something from me?”

Charon sat up. “First off, little lady, calm down. Ines wouldn’t keep secrets from you, trust me. If you don’t know, it’s because you never asked. Now, I’m sure you’re thinking now’s not a good time to go inquiring about her past. Lucky for you, Ines ain’t the only one who gets all the juicy gossip.” Qun’mi rolled her eyes but listened intently. Learning about whatever had happened in the past was her best bet for figuring out how to lift Ines’ mood.

“It was over ten years ago, but I remember it clear as day,” Charon said. “Me and the guys, workin’ on robots, gettin’ good and greasy. And my boss pulls me aside for some questioning. He asks if I know anything about bio experiments. Of course I say no, then he gives me this report about a coworker of mine. I don’t remember the guy, but get this: Mechanic. Wife and two daughters. The wife and daughters’ last name? Belfarre.”

Qun’mi crossed her legs. “You don’t remember him. So he’s dead. But how did he die?” “Shhhh I’m getting to that,” Charon said. “Heh, now I kinda want that White Tiger. Anyway, like your gal said, her mom was a bioengineer. A genius by the looks of it, but also had some screws loose. Both of ‘em, really, since he volunteered…You know the Freaks? She worked on, uh…prototypes. Took her husband to the lab after his shift was up. Injected different concoctions into his blood every day, monitoring him and recording the effects. She made a lot of progress.” He scratched his head. “Then apparently one day he came home and lost it all of a sudden. Destroyed the oven, tore doors of cabinets, banged his head on counters, killed the mom by biting her…That part’s still really weird. I dunno if they mean some Dracobaltian shit, but the cause of death for the father and the sister was electrocution. They never reached a conclusion on whether Big Sis killed the dad and sacrificed herself in the process or if Ines did it. Either way, they’re gone now…”

Qun’mi sat back. “…Damn.” “Yep,” Charon said, lying back down. “Do what you will with that info.” Qun’mi ran a hand through her hair. “Damn it…I thought that’d help me figure out what to do but I’m still clueless.” Charon snickered. “You’re thinking way too hard about this. You must really love her, huh?” “Shut up, old man,” was Qun’mi’s immediate response. “I’m really not that old,” Charon replied. “But I do give good advice, if I say so myself. Instead of fretting over some complex plan, just do what you normally do when she’s feeling down…As long as you keep it down, that is.”

After promptly hitting Charon on the head, Qun’mi walked toward Ines’ room. Knowing her, she’d probably listened to their entire conversation. In truth, Qun’mi had somewhat counted on that being the case. She opened the door slightly. “Ines?” Ines was in bed, hardly visible with the room’s lack of illumination. “You okay? Should I turn the light on?” “No, it’s fine,” Ines said. “Just come here.” Qun’mi walked to Ines’ side and took a seat on the bed.

“Hey. I know you–” Her words instantly turned into laughter when Ines suddenly pounced on her and started tickling her sides. “Ines! Ines, what the hell?!” Ines giggled as Qun’mi thrashed about in an attempt to escape the onslaught, finally stopping when her girlfriend could no longer fight against her. A smile remained on her face as Qun’mi caught her breath. “I’ll be fine, Mimi. Promise. You know why?” She gave Qun’mi a kiss on the cheek. “I have you. That’s why.” “Ha,” Qun’mi breathed. “That’s so…cheesy.” “Yep,” Ines sighed. “You know what else is cheesy? Taking you out onto the balcony.” “I thought there was pretty much nothing there,” Qun’mi said. Ines grinned wider. “For most people, there’s not. But I just want you to take a look.” Qun’mi stared at the woman she loved and laughed. “The hell?”


End file.
